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Effect of multiple mechanical recycling process on release of additives from polypropylene microplastics
Summary
Researchers simulated five cycles of mechanical recycling of polypropylene (PP) in a laboratory extruder and characterized additive release at cycles 1, 3, and 5 using infrared spectroscopy and other methods, examining two PP formulations with different antioxidant and plasticizer additives. The study aimed to determine how repeated mechanical recycling promotes migration of additives into the environment as microplastic-associated chemicals.
Polimeri su temeljni materijali modernog društva, s polipropilenom (PP) kao jednim od najčešće korištenih termoplastičnih polimera zbog svoje fleksibilnosti, izdržljivosti i prilagodljivosti različitim primjenama. Dodavanje aditiva ključno je za poboljšanje mehaničkih svojstava polimernih materijala. Međutim, s porastom svjetske proizvodnje i upotrebe polimera raste i količina plastičnog otpada, što predstavlja veliki ekološki izazov. Mehaničko recikliranje često se promovira kao održivo rješenje za smanjenje plastičnog otpada. Iako termoplasti teoretski mogu izdržati više ciklusa recikliranja bez značajnog gubitka svojstava, malo je istraživanja posvećeno proučavanju utjecaja ovih procesa na otpuštanje aditiva, koji u obliku mikroplastike mogu dospjeti u okoliš. Cilj ovog rada je bio analizirati utjecaj višestrukog mehaničkog recikliranja na otpuštanje aditiva iz polipropilenske mikroplastike. U tu svrhu pripremljena su dva uzorka. Prvi uzorak je se sastojao od polipropilena (PP) s dodanim antioksidansima i plastifikatorom, dok su drugom uzorku polipropilena (PP) dodani antioksidansi. Nakon pripreme, provedena je simulacija pet ciklusa mehaničkog recikliranja u laboratorijskom ekstruderu. Nakon svakog ciklusa recikliranja, uzorci su usitnjeni na veličinu mikroplastike. Karakterizacija uzoraka provedena je nakon 1., 3. i 5. ciklusa, kako bi se odredile promjene svojstava polipropilena uzrokovane migracijom aditiva. Metode karakterizacije uključivale su infracrvenu spektroskopiju s Fourierovom transformacijom (FTIR), termogravimetrijsku analizu (TGA) i diferencijalnu pretražnu kalorimetriju (DSC). Ove metode omogućile su praćenje promjena u kemijskoj strukturi, toplinskim svojstvima i stupnju kristalnosti uzoraka polipropilena. Također praćene su i migracije aditiva iz mikroplastike u vodu, te je određena toksičnost vodenih uzoraka prema bakterijskoj kulturi Vibrio fischeri, omjer biorazgradivosti i sadržaj ukupnog organskog ugljika.
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